Feed-trough.



Nq. 731,841. PATENTED JUNE-23,1903

' 0. BAKER.

.FEED TROUGH.

- APPLICATION FILED D50. 2, 1902.

N0 MODEL;

are. 731,841.

UNITED STATES Patented June 23, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

FEED-TROUGH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 731,841, dated June 23, 1903.

Application filed December 2, 1902- Serial No. 133,601. (No model.)

To all whom it nan/y concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES BAKER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Delaware township, Defiance county, Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feed-Troughs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in feed-troughs designed for feeding sheep, although of course it may be used for feeding other stock. The device is constructed especially with the view of arranging a simple form of trough whereby the stock can be fed expeditiously without creating any unnecessary dirt and unnecessary loss of food and is so arranged that there will be no undue crowding of the stock and so that the sheep are prevented from jumping into or over the trough when feeding. This arrangement prevents the smaller and weaker sheep from being crowded so that they cannot obtain a fair share of the food. Of course it will be apparent that the construction hereinafter described makes it possible to use a series of troughs, and as the troughs may be opened at the ends, where no feeding is possible, the attendant merely has to pass from one trough to the other, setting the levers as he passes, and thereby opening the troughs.

My invention there fore consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and then definitely claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, which represent the preferable form of my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved trough with the parts shown in the position for feeding. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the trough. Fig. 3 is a cross-section.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by numerals, 1 indicates a trough, which may be made of any shape desired, but which I prefer to make V-shaped, as shown, and 2 indicates legs fixed in pairs at each end of the trough, as clearly shown in the drawings. The ends of the trough 1 are designated by the numeral 3 and preferably extend quite a distance above the trough for purposes hereinafter disclosed. In one end 3 is preferably a central slot near the top, and through this slot works a hand-lever 4, fulcrumed to an upright post 5, projecting from the trough and bracing it in any desired way. Said post 5 is preferably bifurcated at its upper end to receive the lever 4c, and to the end of said lever is connected a suspension device 8, consisting, preferably, of four rods. On this suspension device is suspended a verticallymovable gate or guard 10, which is preferably rectangular in form and comprises side portions connected by a central portion 11 and two ends 12. The central portion 11 is preferably V-shaped at its lower end to fit within the V-shaped trough, and thus insure the proper closing of the gate or guard. The side portions of the movable gate or guard 10 extend somewhat beyond the ends 12, and these extended sides fit over the ends 3, and thus act as guides to prevent the gate or guard from moving laterally. To prevent the gate or guard from being moved too high, I provide a stop 13 on one of the ends 3. On the other end 3 I provide a pivoted gravitylatch 14, which is pivoted to one end near the slot 3 and is so proportioned that when the lever 4 is depressed said latch will by its gravity swing over the hand-lever, and thus lock said lever and its connecting-gate in the position for feeding. It is obvious that all it is necessary to do is to trip said gravity-latch, and the gate or guard Will close by gravity.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings it will be seen that after the feed has been placed in the respective troughs all the work that it is necessary for the attendant to perform is to pass from one trough to the other, depressing the handlevers as he passes, and the gravity-latches thereby coact with said levers and hold the gates in their upper positions, so that the stock may feed.

The trough may be divided crosswise into sections, as shown at 16, if desired, by which arrangement the sheep may be confined to separate feeding-sections.

It is obvious that changes may be made in -the form of my troughs and that for feeding some forms of stock different-shaped troughs would be desired, and in such a case it might be preferred to support the trough directly on the ground without employing the legs shown in my drawings.

What I claim as new is- 1. In a feed-trough; a trough proper; a vertically-movable feed gate or guard; a reciprocating lever pivotally mounted with respect to said trough and gate or guard and having one end supporting said movable gate or guard and its free end projecting outside of the trough proper and forming a handle; and a latch for engaging said lever to hold the movable gate or guard in its open position; substantially as described.

2. In a feed-trough, a trough proper having ends extending above the same, a feed gate or guard vertically movable between said ends and comprising a rectangular frame closing the sides of the trough, a lever for raising said gate or guard and a latch for automatically locking said lever with the gate or guard in its opened position, substantially as described.

3. In a feed-trough, a trough proper having ends projecting above the same, a verticallymovable gate or guard arranged between the said ends and having portions coacting with said ends and guiding said gate or guard, a vertically-operating lever suitably supported and having a suspension device connected with said feed gate or guard, and a gravitylatch connected with one of said ends and coacting with the lever to hold the gate or guard in an upward position, substantially as described.

Signed by me at Sherwood, Ohio, this 18th day of November, 1902.

CHARLES BAKER.

Witnesses:

MARTIN F. KUSZMAUL, EMERSON IVIILLER. 

